便宜的肉蛋，贵的生意：零售商的“薄利困境”

Group 1 - The core issue in the pork and egg markets is a significant price drop due to oversupply, with pork prices falling below 6 yuan/kg and egg prices dropping below 3 yuan/kg in some regions [3][6][11] - The average price of fresh pork has decreased by 33% year-on-year, while the wholesale price of pork has seen a decline of 34.8% [4][6] - The number of breeding sows is currently at 40.43 million, exceeding the normal level, indicating continued high supply of pigs in the market [8] Group 2 - The decline in pork and egg prices is not an isolated event but reflects a broader issue of supply exceeding demand, leading to a price collapse [7][11] - The Consumer Price Index (CPI) has been negatively impacted by falling food prices, particularly pork, which has contributed to a 0.4 percentage point decrease in CPI [16][21] - Retailers are facing pressure as the price drop in staple items like pork and eggs affects overall consumer price perception, leading to reduced profit margins [18][24] Group 3 - Retailers are adjusting their strategies by focusing on overall basket profitability rather than just the margins on pork and eggs, treating them as customer acquisition costs [26][30] - There is a shift towards offering higher-margin products to attract middle and high-income consumers while also catering to price-sensitive customers with private label products [30][31] - The price drop has exposed structural issues within the retail industry, prompting a reevaluation of market positioning and cost management strategies [32]